Ava DuVernay On 'When They See Us'

Fresh Air from WHYY, the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues, is one of public radio's most popular programs. Hosted by Terry Gross, the show features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries.

DuVernay's Netflix series tells the story of how five black and brown boys, known as the Central Park Five, were manipulated into confessing to a brutal rape they did not commit. 'When They See Us' focuses on the boys' perspective — and the criminal justice system that failed them. Also, film critic Justin Chang reviews 'Toy Story 4.'

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At the height of the Jim Crow era, Taylor broke barriers by becoming the country's fastest and most famous cyclist. Author and 'Washington Post' journalist Michael Kranish tells his story in the new book, 'The World's Fastest Man.' "He really belongs in the pantheon of civil rights leaders as a sports athlete," Kranish says. "He was able to use his athleticism and his championships for a greater purpose to show that the racist theories of eugenics and other things were wrong." Also, book critic Maureen Corr...

Geriatrician Dr. Louise Aronson treats patients who are in their 60s — as well as those who are older than 100. "I need to be a different sort of doctor for people at different ages and phases of old age," she says. Aronson writes about changing approaches to elder health care in the book, 'Elderhood.'Also, jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews a live recording from saxophonist Stan Getz....

This summer marks 50 years since the first Apollo moon landing. Journalist Charles Fishman's new book 'One Giant Leap' focuses on the untold stories of the ordinary men and women who worked behind-the-scenes on the Apollo missions. "Apollo was the biggest non-military effort in the history of human civilization," Fishman says. He talks about the team at Playtex who designed the spacesuits, the computer programmers, and the state of the U.S. space program today. Ken Tucker reviews Bruce Springsteen's new sol...

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'Washington Post' journalist Anna Fifield visited North Korea and interviewed many of its citizens — including members of Kim Jong Un's family — for her new book about the country and its leader. Her book is 'The Great Successor.' Also, Maureen Corrigan reviews the novel 'The Body in Question' by Jill Ciment, about jurors on a murder trial....

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As colleges and universities across the country report an explosion of mental health problems, a new book argues that college life may actually be more stressful than ever. Dr. Anthony Rostain and family therapist B. Janet Hibbs are the authors of 'The Stressed Years of Their Lives.' They say today's college students are experiencing an "inordinate amount of anxiety" — much of it centered on "surviving college and doing well." Justin Chang reviews the new Elton John biopic 'Rocketman.' Journalist Daniel Ok...

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As colleges and universities across the country report an explosion of mental health problems, a new book argues that college life may actually be more stressful than ever. Dr. Anthony Rostain, co-author of 'The Stressed Years of Their Lives,' notes that today's college students are experiencing an "inordinate amount of anxiety" — much of it centered on "surviving college and doing well." Co-author and family therapist B. Janet Hibbs joins Rostain to talk about the root causes of the stress and how families...

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